1968 Ford Truck - Buckin' The Bow Tie!

I never thought the day would come when I would actually be excited about owning a late-model Ford truck. I don't claim any brand loyalty since I've owned/built and enjoyed too many old cars to have my feet firmly planted in one camp, but I've never had that warm, fuzzy feeling toward Ford trucks starting with the F-100 up. That's not to say I can't enjoy and appreciate a well-built example of the models in question, I just didn't expect to have my name on one's pink slip.

Since joining/doubling the staff here at CLASSIC TRUCKS, I was stumped as far as what to get for a project truck. Many of the more popular hay haulers occupy the garages of not only Rob, but a few of the others around the office, so I needed to venture beyond the comfort zone of Chevys and the overpopulation of Effies in order to be a viable source of tech articles and interest to you, the reader. I didn't want a rusted-out F-1 or another Dodge after finding out the hard way how tough it was to find basic parts for the '59 D-100 I had, so what now? After flipping through the August '05 issue of CLASSIC TRUCKS, something stuck with me after doing a second-take at Jimmy Smith's renditions of the '67-72 F-100. Hoping osmosis would help, I left the issue open to those pages in my office for inspiration, where it remains, and so the slow search began.

Soon it seemed like most later F-100s were one of the following: a 4x4 monster; rusted out; a longbed; in the East; or, most commonly, all of the above. Maybe that's why nobody builds 'em. I persevered onward.

Poking around on eBay one day, I found a '68 shortbed Stepside F-100 that was only 30 miles away from me. I promptly bid on it and remained the high bidder at $156, which was in my price range, but the reserve was never met. Luckily, we made a deal afterward that wasn't too far above what I had bid, and I hauled home a truck I never liked, and couldn't be more excited about it!

The old green Ford had been sitting for the better part of two decades after the owner kinked a fuel line. The last few years it hibernated in the back of a repo man's lot in Rancho Cucamonga, California, where the lien sale papers were signed over to me. I don't even want to know the position one must be in to have had this truck repossessed, but I'm glad to have it. After a few days working on the brakes, new gas, and a fuel line, it literally started right up, and I took it out for an interesting trip around the neighborhood ridding the area of any mosquitoes while it burnt out whatever called the engine home.

The rust-free beaut runs and drives now, but not for long. This short stint on the street will have to suffice for a while. The stock 360 and three on the tree might need more work than it would take to pull them out and toss 'em.

Speaking of tailgates, as nice as the Stepside bed on the '68 is, it's outta here. It'll be sold to fund the acquisition of a Fleetside shortbox, and if that can't be found I'll have to piece one together from a longbed with the help of some of our advertisers like NPD, BOTP, and Dennis Carpenter.

The twin I-beam suspension probably puts many people off since the same-era Chevys come with an IFS from the factory, but by the time you put trick A-arms, spindles, springs, steering, and whatever else on a C-10, you can start to justify the cost of the Fatman clip for the Ford. I've never been a fan of Henry's motors from the past, and I started to figure out what to do about a powerplant even before I bought this truck. I'd put a Chevy in it in a second, but I'd probably get run out of town on a rail, or worse! The late Mustang/Cobra Modular motor sounded fun and would hopefully bring reliability and parts availability to the forefront versus a vintage V-8, and of course it keeps a Ford in a Ford. This would also give me hands-on experience with an EFI swap, which might as well be brain surgery for most of us carburetor people. Luckily, there're folks like Painless Performance to help the electrically handicapped like myself. Dennis, I have your number!

I hope to hear some feedback, especially from those who have one of these Square-Fords. By the time you read this, we'll be moved into our new, improved tech center, and I'll be well past the point of no return!

Just through word of mouth there are already a few parties interested in my plan to show the C-10 fans what they'll soon be up against. Picture this-low (of course), Fleetside bed, Fatman clip and four-link, Ford 4.6 DOHC Mod motor backed by five-speed, same-period Ranger buckets, one-piece back window, all coming together in a late '60s/early '70s-style truck with a twist. Not sure about paint yet-I'd love to do something gaudy from that era. My plan is to do something different with a truck that's often overlooked but has as much potential as anything else out there.